The word taxi comes from taximeter, the device that calculates your fare, not from the vehicle itself.

Cab comes from cabriolet, a type of light horse drawn carriage used for hire.

Ticketed, paid carriages for hire existed in London as early as the 1600s, long before cars.

One of first motorized taxicabs with a meter was the Daimler Victoria, built in 1897.

Mechanical taximeters were originally mounted outside the cab before later moving inside the vehicle.

The taximeter was invented by German inventor Friedrich Wilhelm Gustav Bruhn in 1891.

Today, the word taxi is spelled the same in English, French, and several other languages, which is unusual for borrowed words. Notable exceptions include the German Droschke, the Mandarin Chinese chūzū chē meaning “rental vehicle,” and the Icelandic Leigubíll meaning “rental car.”

The famous yellow cab in the United States was popularized by the Yellow Cab Company, founded by John D. Hertz in 1907.

Yellow was chosen because it was found to be one of the most visible colors from a distance.

Not all taxis are yellow. In many cities, they are white, black, green, or patterned, depending on local traditions.

London’s iconic black cabs are not legally required to be black. That color simply became the historical norm.

A taxi stand, also called a taxi rank, is a designated spot where taxis line up to pick up passengers on a first come, first served basis.

London black taxis are designed tall so that passengers wearing bowler hats could sit comfortably inside.

London taxi drivers must pass a test called The Knowledge, which requires memorizing more than 25,000 streets and landmarks.

Taxi fares usually combine distance traveled, time taken, and waiting time into the final bill through the taximeter.

There are four main types of taxis: hackney carriages, taxibuses, limousines, and private hire vehicles.

The first taxi service was reportedly launched in Paris in 1640 using horse drawn carriages.

In Japan, some taxis feature automatic rear passenger doors for convenience.

In Mexico City, many taxi drivers decorate their vehicles with religious items for blessings and protection.

In some cities, such as Singapore, taxis are equipped with safety systems that can alert authorities if a driver becomes drowsy.

The highest altitude ever reached by a taxi was over 5,000 meters above sea level.

The world’s longest taxi journey was roughly 79,000 kilometers in a London black taxi.

Classic American cars from the 1950s still serve as taxis in places like Havana, Cuba.

Manila has unique motorcycle taxis called tricycles, which are extremely popular in narrow urban streets.

Many modern taxi fleets now use GPS, digital meters, and electronic payment systems.

Taxi drivers are sometimes called hacks, a term that comes from hackney carriages, London’s earliest for hire vehicles.

Women began driving taxis in notable numbers in cities like New York as early as the 1920s.

Taxi drivers often know obscure shortcuts and routes, and in some historic fleets, many could outperform GPS systems.

There is even a Taxi Museum in Taiwan that showcases the global history and culture of taxis.

Ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft have cost the taxi industry an estimated 30 to 60 billion dollars globally.